Jun 26, 2026 – 11.00amLondon | The mad dogs weren’t to be seen, but there were still plenty of Englishmen (and women) going out in the midday sun this week, even as Europe swelters through a record-breaking heatwave.Meteorologists have blamed the furnace-like conditions on a “heat dome”, which is essentially a vast area of high pressure parked over the United Kingdom and Western Europe.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles